Portable windlass



A. A. KELLER.

PORTABLE WINDLASSL APPLICATIONJILEI) DFC. 6. 1920.

1,379,990. Patented May 31., 1921.

ZSHEETS-SHEET l.

A1het AKER'E A. A'. KELLER. PORTABLE WINDLASS. APPLICATION FILED DEC- 6, 1920.

Patented May 31,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- A1IIEFTA K511 E F ara' ALBERT A. KELLER, OI MILVIAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

PORTABLE WINDLASS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A KELLE a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Nindlasses; and I do hereby declare the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in windlasses, and pertains especially to those of a portable nature which are adapted to be transported with an automobile or other vehicle and form part of the equipment thereof.

()ne of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a portable Windlass, the parts of which may be readily disassembled, or the complete machine collapsed so that it will occupy relatively small space.

A. further important object of the invention is to provide a Windlass of this character which is equipped with ground engaging supporting legs whereby the machine may be moved over the ground in an easy and convenient manner.

It is likewise an object of my invention to provide a novel Windlass drum rotating mechanism in which the power imparted through the operation of a suitable crank is evenly distributed to the drum.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the drive gear can be disengaged from the parts which are operated thereby so as to permit the ready release of the draft cable from the winding drum. 7

With these objects in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. b

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the machine as arranged in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view showing particularly the manner of connecting the detachable supporting legs to the Windlass drum frame.

Referring more particularly to the invention as disclosed in the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that it comprises a windlass or winding drum frame 1 including side bars 2 and end connecting rods, 3, and a drum 41 which is j ournaled on a drum shaft 5 extending between and connected with the frame bars 2. The frame bars 2 are connected at their opposite ends by a pair of said rods 3 which are vertically spaced when the frame 1 is in its normal horizontal Patented May 31, 1921.

position, and these rods 3 are adaptedto connection with the frame 1. In view of such construction the legs are readily disengageable from the frame, so that the ma chine may be collapsed and stored in relatively mall space. V i 3 i The lower end of each of the legs carries a ground engaging roller 8 and'thelegs in the adjacent ends of the framel are connected by rods 9 which are similar to the rods 3. Brace bars 10 having downwardly turned bifurcated ends 11 connect the opposite sets of rods 9 to thereby rigidly space the lower ends of the legs 6.

The opposite ends of the drum 4 are pro.- vided with gears 12 which are meshed with pinions 13 on a countershaft 14, the same being journaled in the frame 1 substantially parallel to the drum shaft 5. This counter shaft 14 also has a driving gear 15 fixed ends of said rods hold the legs in operative thereto which is adapted to be meshed with a drive pinion 16, the latter being fixed on a drive shaft 17. The opposite ends of the drive shaft 17, which is slidably and ro-' tatably mounted in the frame 1, project beyond the side bars 2 and are squared or provided with polygonal ends 18 for the reception of a crank 19. Upon the rotation of the shaft 17 through the operation of the crank 19 on either end thereof, the countershaft 14; will be rotated to drive the drum 4, and in view of the fact that the pinions 13 and the gears 12 are spaced apart, the power is evenly distributed to both ends of, the

, drum.

One end of'the frame 1 has a handle portion 20 secured thereto, and one side of such frame bars 2, may fall into engagement with the teeth of the drive pinion 16. 'The shaft 14 also is equipperL with a locking pinion 23 with which a latch dog 24; is designed to cooperate to prevent rotation of the drum Winding mechanism. Fhe drive pinion 16 is normally meshed with the gear 15, but if it is necessary or desirable to permit the free rotation of the drum 4:, it is readily possible to shift the shaft 17 and the pinion 16 so as to cause disengagement of the teeth of the latter from the teeth of the ear 15.

In other words said shaft 1'? is moved longitudinally against the tension of a spring 25 (see Fig. 1

' In the use of this invention, th frame 1 mounted on the legs 6 is disposed in a suitable position in front of an object, such as an automobile, to be moved, and the clevises 26 connected therewith at spaced points by suitable chains or the like (not shown). The draft cable then has one end wound on the drum 1 and the other end attached to a stationary object so that upon rotation of the shaft 17 by means of the crank 19, this cable may be Wound upon the drum with the consequent movement of the automobile or other object. Owing to the ground engaging rollers 8, the frame 1 carrying the operating parts of the Windlass can readily move or shift about upon the ground during the shortening of the draft cable.

After the object to be moved has been shifted a predetermined distance, the Windlass is disconnected from the draft cables or the like and the legs 6 detached from the frame 1.

I claim:

1. In a Windlass of the class described, a collapsible frame structure including a drum supporting frame and removable ground engaging legs, and a winding drum on the drum supporting frame.

2. in a Windlass of the class described, a collapsible frame structure including a drum supporting frame, removable ground ing legs, and detachable brace bars connecting the legs, and a winding drum on the drum supporting frame.

In a Windlass of the class described, a collapsible frame structure including a drum supporting frame and removable ground engaging legs, a winding drum mounted in said drum supporting frame, a drum driving gear, a drive gear normally operatively connected with the driving gear, and means for moving the drive gear out of said operative connection with the driving gear.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

ALBERT A. KELLER. 

